WORTH THE READ: ROY EVANS II GUEST EDITORIAL

Our many RAF supporters have such vast and varied experience, and we’re capturing some of their words of wisdom to share with you. This month’s guest editorial is by Roy Evans II, the President of Utah Back Country Pilot s Association.

Throughout my journey in aviation, I’ve been guided by many mentors. In my adolescence, I found myself taxiing across a spacious apron following the tire tracks of countless flight students like me. Immediately my instructor slammed the brakes, turned towards me in the tight confines of that Cessna 152 and asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I quickly replied, “I want to be a professional pilot.” Twice as fast as I had replied, my instructor said, “Then start right now and get on the yellow line.”

The benefits of an active, engaging mentor/mentee relationship are often overlooked. Our modern, connected lives rarely find time for the peace and solace many of us find while flying and enjoying the backcountry.

In the state of Utah, we are the benefactors of the exemplary stewardship of recreational aviators who enjoy our historic, unparalleled backcountry. When two members of the Utah Back Country Pilots Association were out enjoying a fair weather day and landed at an airstrip they were met by park rangers. When questioned about pilots’ rights in landing at this airstrip, their true professionalism shone. What transpired over those tense moments for these two became the foundation that our organization has been striving for. Their innate stewardship for aviation’s access to our public lands made the impossible happen. Utah’s first airstrip located in a state park, Temple Mountain, once on the chopping block of existence, now thrives as an airstrip with access to Goblin Valley State Park. 

Etiquette and customs traverse generations — not in books or signs — but in actions. Each time we roll our tires in the backcountry, our impacts on the future of recreational aviation are felt across the world. Learning more about how we can turn our errant marks into positive impressions lies in our individual efforts to engage with those who’ve made this all possible, and the organizations that perpetuate those impressions to the impressionable. Whether it be your membership dues, your participation in work parties and public comment periods, many times a simple email or phone call can bridge the gaps our adversaries exploit in restricting or removing one of America’s greatest freedoms. 

While we all will find ourselves straying from the yellow lines from time to time, it’s important to surround ourselves with those with the passion to help us steer back on course. Organizations such as the UBCP, Idaho Aviation Association, Montana Pilots Association, and RAF are chock full of mentors looking for ways to help preserve and protect backcountry flying, and I know they would love an extra set of hands. During this winter season, while many of us wait for the snow and the skies to clear, let’s take this time to engage with our local aviation community. Find a mentor who will empower you to continue to make better aeronautical decisions; and prepare ourselves to serve in a similar role. Start making better decisions today that will provide even more opportunities for recreational aviation in the future, and find joy in keeping the dreams of backcountry flying alive.

Roy Evans II has been flying airplanes since he was eight years old. Having the opportunity to make a career out of being a professional aviator, Roy volunteers as the President of the Utah Back Country Pilots Association, preserving and protecting Utah’s backcountry airstrips while enhancing the safety of pilots across the west.


When his chores are done, he’s likely flying around in his Cub Special with one of his children in the back teaching them how to read a sectional while navigating them to the nearest huckleberry milkshake. 

Submitted December 21, 2023.

Posted in News

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KARSEN KRAMER

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Karsen Kramer has a passion for both aviation and backcountry exploration. Growing up in Colorado, he developed a love for the outdoors through hiking, camping, fishing, and off-roading. His interest in aviation began at a young age after flying with his grandfather in a Cessna 180. Karsen moved to Montana in 2022 to pursue aviation and earned his Associate’s Degree in Aviation in 2024. He is currently working toward a Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing at Montana State University while also working as a flight instructor in Bozeman. Karsen holds his CFI, CFII, and MEI certifications and teaches an instrument ground course at Gallatin College. He has a great passion for teaching and highly values providing instruction to the next generation of pilots.  Active in the aviation community, you can count on Karsen to attend EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin each year. He is excited to volunteer with the RAF and help support its mission of preserving and promoting backcountry aviation, which he hopes to enjoy himself someday, in the same C180 that started it all.

PAUL "FUZZY" CARELLI

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RAF GRANT TO REHABILITATE SILETZ BAY, OREGON CAMPGROUND

March 12, 2026
RAF Oregon Ambassador Sarah Brown and RAF Oregon Liaison Richard Mayes have been awarded an RAF grant to rehabilitate the campground at Siletz Bay State Airport (S45), near the small community of Lincoln Beach on the Oregon coast. “Once an extremely popular place for pilot gatherings, this campground saw up to twenty-five airplanes at a time for weekend camping in its heyday,” Brown said. However, the campground has become overgrown and nearly forgotten over the years. Local RAF supporter Bruce Dunlop suggested the recreational potential to Brown. She and Oregon Ambassador Kevin Johnson explored the feasibility of reviving it; they envisioned the rehabilitation with the help of RAF funds and volunteers. Efforts include clearing brush and removing and chipping dead trees, removing rotten platforms, fire rings, and picnic tables. Volunteers will replace picnic tables and fire rings, lay gravel to help improve drainage, and build a firewood shed. The airport is owned and managed by the Oregon Department of Aviation (ODA). “Director Kenji Sugahara is an enthusiastic proponent of the RAF and its mission,” Brown said. RAF's Oregon team has successfully worked with ODA to improve safety and facilities at several other airports with recreational potential, particularly McKenzie Bridge (00S), Owyhee (28U), and Toketee (3S6). Other ongoing collaborations between RAF and ODA include discussions to improve the facilities at Nehalem Bay (3S7). Repaved in 2025, the Siletz Bay airport is a 15-minute walk from beautiful Gleneden Beach, what Brown says is “a great place to walk in the sand, look for agates, fly a kite, surf, or whale watch in the spring and summer.” A 40-minute walk north of the airport takes you to hiking trails at the Alder Island Nature Trailhead. Highway 101 parallels the runway and is known for its scenic cycling. Golfing is another recreational opportunity at the Salishan Coastal Lodge Resort, which is adjacent to the airport. Several nice restaurants are located within walking distance. See the Siletz Bay Airport listing in the Airfield Guide . Submitted March 12, 2025

CREATING A DOOR FOR OPPORTUNITY TO KNOCK ON

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Opportunity has three components:  1) The effort that goes into its creation; 2) Recognizing the opportunity; 3) Being ready and willing to act on the opportunity. Number one on the list is the sweat equity we have all put into the RAF – each one of you who has given of your time and talent. Campfire conversations that led to work parties that proved our conviction to the RAF mission. We learned what needed to be done, and we learned how to do it together. We were polite and persistent in our approach, which, in time, presented opportunities. Number two is recognizing that an opportunity is presenting itself, and knowing that it is one worth taking on. Over the years, we learned the RAF’s ability to prioritize, begin, and how to go about the best next steps. No backcountry guidebook was available, so we did a lot of “learning by doing.” The RAF has become a respected organization in our area of work. The opportunities that we are seeing on our plate today are not just luck. They were created. That is a tribute to you, the people of the RAF. Finally, when you add one and two, you come to being ready to act. We put much of the early effort into creating opportunities, then gained the experience to prioritize them, found wisdom and strength in allying with like-minded groups, and finally, we are doing our best to take action on the best of them. You are vitally important at this stage since we need you to continue to be a part of the action. The RAF will be asking you for support at many levels as we move forward, and we hope you will find the challenges as exciting as we do. When we call for your help, we only request that you look at the project and decide, is this my time to do what I can? We hope you will join us, and why not bring a new friend to help out? - John McKenna, RAF Chairman Submitted March 15, 2026

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